Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-05-06
THE LAST OF THE BuFFALoEs.
Rumors of a Large Herd in an Out Of
the WAY Place in Mexico.

Rumors of a Large Herd in an Out Of
the Way Place in Mexico.
Twas told when l came here two months
ago that if wanted to find out what was
trustworthy concerning the determination of
the buffalo, Capt. Jack Bridges was the man
to see. AS Bridges was then hunting in the
Seralers mountains in Mexico, I took the cars
to Gallego, where, through the courtesy Of
R. e. Comfort superintendent of the Mexi- q.
can Central Railroad company, was pro-
vided with an inoffensive broncho to ride
over to Bridges camp, some thirty-eight
miles
Capt. Jack, who for years past has been
one Of the most distinguished and fearless
hunters in the west, was the first man to
make a contract to provide large number
of buffalo hides The idea suggested itself to
a pelt dealing firm in Leavenworth, Kas,
who sent for Bridges, telling him to procure
1900 hides at once, as they wished to try
them in the English market. Bridges signed
.he contract, and hiring lot of "skinners,"
began his destructive warfare against the
bison. In five weeks and four days he killed
with his own hand /, 143 buffaloes, and the
hides Of these animals constituted the first
shipment of buffalo robes to Europe While
! the contract was very lucrative, owing to the
great abundance of the animals, the slaugh-
ter disguised Bridges, who was natural born
sportsman, SO much that he refused to be in
strumental in the future in any wholesale
destruction of good meat He says that he
has only been sorry but once for what he did,
and that has been always. Since then he has
killed about 5000 head, but only when meat
wasrequired by the different expeditions for
which he was guide Having shot buffalo
from British Columbia to Texas, and having
lived for the last thirty-fve years on the
great game ranges of the west, he is well quail
flied to speak authoritatively on the subject.
GAS far as I know" said Bridges when talk
ing on the subject. "and I try to keep myself
posted, there are not over 800 buffalo left in
the United States. There are about 200 in
the Yellowstone park and these will be the
sole survivors in a year or two. In the pan
handle Of Texas there were about 100 These
do not include those on the ranch of Charley
Goodnight, who has lot of them semidomes-
ticated Goodnight's ranch is near Vernon,
in Armstrong county. There are about 40
in Kanzas and the Indian Territory, five or
six in Colorado, ten in Montana and five in
Dakota. The others are in little herd in an
:, out of the way place, which l do not wish
4 made public"
MThis, TIL sums up the buffaloes left!
Eyes, though there may De sUfagglng
pair or two in southern Texas. I am told
bulls were seen south of San Antonio the
other day, and that they were followed up
and one killed. But have been told twice
recently, once by an Apache and the other
time by Wacoe Indian, that on the big
plains 500 miles south of here, in country
but very rarely Travelled, there is a very large
herd. I will know soon, for I am going down
there this spring But the drought has been
SO severe in Mexico this season that the game
has suffered terribly and has had to travel
nv miles ess. water. New York Sun.